tu as une petite amie ?
To say "do you have a girlfriend?" in French, you use tu as une petite amie ?
This phrase is a question used to ask if someone is in a romantic relationship with a woman.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
There are two main ways to ask this depending on your relationship with the person. Use the informal tu as une petite amie ? when speaking to a friend, a peer or someone younger than you. Use the formal Avez-vous une petite amie ? or vous avez une petite amie ? when speaking to someone you do not know well or in a formal setting.
Did you know?
- In Quebec, it is more common to hear blonde used to mean 'girlfriend', regardless of the woman's actual hair color.
- In France, many people use the slang term meuf instead of petite amie when speaking informally. This word is a verlan inversion of the word femme, meaning 'woman'.
- The word amie originally meant 'lover' in Middle French, though today it is a common way to say 'friend'.
Examples in context
- Excusez-moi, monsieur, avez-vous une petite amie ?Excuse me, sir, do you have a girlfriend?
- Salut, tu as une petite amie en ce moment ?Hi, do you have a girlfriend at the moment?
- Dis-moi, tu as une petite amie ?Tell me, do you have a girlfriend?
- Est-ce que tu as une petite amie ?Do you have a girlfriend?
Example conversation
Emma and Gabriel are talking at a coffee shop.
- EmmaGabriel, tu as une petite amie ?Gabriel, do you have a girlfriend?
- GabrielNon, je suis célibataire.No, I am single.
- EmmaAh, je vois.Ah, I see.
- GabrielEt toi, Emma ?And you, Emma?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries amie, as, tu, une, CC BY-SA 4.0.
